Maryland State Childcare Association Passion for Excellence Grant
Are you passionate about working with young children? Do you strive for excellence for children and for yourself as a teacher, provider, or program? Let MSCCA help you fuel your passion and achieve the best quality of care for our children.
MSCCA recognizes that every community, program, and person needs something different to be successful. Maybe your program needs equipment to achieve a higher level in EXCELS? Maybe you or one of your staff need Professional Development? MSCCA may be able to help you fulfill your needs.
The MSCCA Passion for Excellence Grant is a direct service award. If you are awarded the grant, MSCCA will pay for the service or products requested directly by the company supplying said services or goods. We do not make monetary awards directly to applicants. Please read and follow the application guidelines below and submit your request by the deadline indicated. If you have questions, please refer to the FAQ section, or contact Christina Peusch at 410-820-9196 or [email protected].
Grant applicants must be current members at the state level of the Maryland State Childcare Association. The application deadline is March 15, 2024. MSCCA prefers applications to be submitted electronically through the Passion for Excellence portal below. In 2024, MSCCA will still accept paper applications, if necessary. Paper applications must be submitted with all required documentation and postmarked via certified mail only by March 15, 2024. Applicants must choose one form of grant submission. Please see the FAQs for more information. For the 2025 Passion for Excellence grant, only electronic submissions will be accepted, paper submissions will be phased out for the 2024-2025 grant cycle. If you are awarded the grant, all successful grantees must sign a grant agreement regarding the use of funds and required reporting before distribution of the funds can take place.
Awardees are asked to submit testimonials and/or photographs about their awards for MSCCA’s future use. Funding for the Passion for Excellence grant comes solely from our advertising efforts at our conferences. Awardees are encouraged to pay it forward by donating a raffle prize or basket at a future MSCCA conference. Non-compliance with the terms of the grant may influence future application decisions.
The grant maximum is $5000.
The Passion for Excellence Grant application is now closed for the current grant application cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What kind of things can I request?
You can request anything you need that will improve yourself or your program to provide high quality care for your students. MSCCA will not award grant funds to be used towards daily operating expenses such as snack food, utilities, yard work, rent or salaries.
Can I fill out the application online and email the supporting documentation?
No. Applications will be accepted through the online portal OR via certified mail. Please choose one of the methods and submit your COMPLETE application.
Will the grant cover capital expenses?
The grant does not pay for capital expenses as we would not have funds for large expansion projects etc.
Can members of the regional chapters of MSCCA apply for the PFE Grant?
Yes, but only if you are also a current member of MSCCA at the state level. If you are a chapter member and have not joined MSCCA at the state level yet, please complete your membership application before submitting a PFE Grant application. Not sure if you are a member of the MSCCA at the state level? Please contact us at [email protected].
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